Wind shear refers to a change in wind speed
or direction with height in the atmosphere.
Wind shear
can also refer to a rapid change in winds over a short horizontal distance experienced by aircraft, conditions that
can cause a rapid change in lift, and thus the altitude, of the aircraft.
Some amount of wind shear is always present in the atmosphere, but particularly strong
wind shear is necessary for the formation of
tornadoes and hail.
Larger values of wind shear also exist near
fronts, extratropical cyclones,
and the jet stream.
Wind shear in an atmospheric layer that is clear, but unstable, can
result in clear air turbulence.
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